Why is My Hamster Squeaking? The Truth May Surprise You
Hamsters cannot bark like dogs or “meow” like cats; they make noises—screams, squeaks, and squeals. Here, screaming and squealing are generally rare; the most common is squeaking.
So, if you ask, why is my hamster squeaking? Your hamster is attempting to express something such as
- Happiness
- Fear
- A desire for your attention
- A sense of danger
- An encounter with memory, and so on.
In addition, hamsters also squeak in the case of breeding needs, giving birth, and injury.
Here, you will get in-depth information regarding the hamster’s squeaking context in association with the required actions from your end.
Squeaking Hamster and Your Actions
The table below is designated to suggest what should be done if the pet is squeaking.
| Reasons for Squeaking | Addressing Approaches |
|---|---|
| Stress | Keep the cage in a safe and quiet place |
| Afraid | Allow it some time to become familiar with you and the new surroundings |
| Discomfort | Keep the in-cage environment warm and comfortable |
| Injured | Give care and take it to the vet |
| Seeking attention | Check the food and water pot (empty or not), play with it |
| Fighting | Separate the siblings; in the case of pairing, allow both some time to become habituated with each other |
| Sense of danger | Check; is there any predator |
| Need mating | Consult with a vet and allow breeding |
| Pregnant | Provide maximum comfort |
| Giving birth | Squeaking will stop after all the babies are born |
Reasons for Hamster Squeaking in Depth
In this section, we detail the reasons for your hamster’s squeaking.
Hamster is Happy or Stressed or Afraid
This context might be very familiar to you.
- When your hamster gets a nice treat, it becomes happy and makes a squeaking noise.
- Also, it may squeak if it senses any new person’s presence near the cage (or inside your room).
- However, any addition to your room’s interior may trigger stress, and it will squeak.
- Hamsters also squeak if they are afraid. The fearing context usually orients if the hamster is new in your house (your presence is also new to it).
- Aside from the newcomer scenario, when hamsters are disturbed while sleeping, they squeak to express their displeasure.
Check this video to know more about stress in hamsters:
Hamster feels Discomfort
Hamster has some mood issues.
- If it doesn’t like that you are holding it or tickling it, it will express the resistive feeling by squeaking.
- In addition, any discomfort, like an overheated or cold condition, can make it produce sounds like creeping.
Hamster is Injured
The hamster’s self-hurting context is nearly impossible to limit. If they get hurt, they are used to making sounds like creaking. Two prominent reasons are responsible for this self-harming context.
- First of all, hamsters may hurt themselves by encountering in-cage toys, accessories, etc.
- Secondly, hamsters’ eyesight is very poor, which usually makes them fall from heights or strike against furniture, getting injured
Hamster is Seeking Attention
By making screeching sounds, your hamster seeks some attention from you. The basic reasons are listed below.
- The in-cage food pot is empty
- The water bottle is empty
- It requires your company—to cuddle, get tickled, etc.
- The pet is disappointed for some reasons, like that the roller is not working, the bed is wet, etc.
- Simply put, it is angry due to tiredness and not interested in interacting with you
Hamster is Communicating
Like any other animal, your hamster also communicates with another hamster. The reasons can be just communicating or fighting. And surely, the communicating medium is not talking but squeaking.
You must take this scenario seriously, as the fighting can kill one of the hamsters. Also, if your hamster has given birth, eventually, there will be fights after 1.5 months among the siblings. You must take action by not keeping the siblings in the same cage after 1.5 months.
The Danger is Sensed by Hamster
Being trapped or sensing the presence of any threat, such as a predator, creates an overwhelming context for every living animal on the planet. Humans scream, dogs bark, and hamsters whimper in those situations.
Mating Required for Hamster
The spring and summer seasons are the best for hamsters to sexually interact with the opposite gender. They make squeaking sounds to express their affection for their partners before and during mating.
In addition, if you have only one hamster, it makes noise when it needs a partner. Hamsters make this noise to circulate their breeding needs. Scientifically, this squeaking sound is a “mating call.”
Hamster is Expecting
If your hamster is pregnant, you should expect that it will produce a yelping sound during the whole pregnancy period. Also, while delivering babies, it will squeak.
So, making the squeaking sound helps hamsters mentally reduce the feeling of pain.
Addressing Approaches if Your Hamster Squeaks
Surely you have something to do to stop them from squeaking. Let’s look at the different approaches to addressing the issues and when you should use them.
When to Apply the Addressing Approaches
We assume that you are a nature lover (as you are petting a hamster). Following that, the answer to when to apply the resolutions to stop your hamster’s squeaking is hidden in nature.
Every animal on the earth makes noise when they feel happy or faces a problem. In happiness, usually, the frequency of noise is very limited. In contrast, in difficult situations, they make constant noise.
The same goes for your hamster. If it squeaks one time and then stops, consider that no action is needed as it is happy. On the other hand, if it doesn’t stop (continuous squeaking), you must take prompt action, identify the reason, and diminish it.
Finally, there is nothing you can do if it is pregnant or giving birth. Not to worry, the squeaking will stop after the pregnancy issue is gone.
Addressing Approaches
Below is the list of approaches.
- Don’t allow an unknown person near its cage to restrict stress
- Place the cage in a safe place so that predators cannot come near
- If you have just brought it, allow it some time to become familiar with you and the room’s environment
- Keep the cage warm and comfortable to reduce squeaking caused by discomfort or disappointment
- Always provide food and water on time
- In case your hamster is generating a “mating call,” consult a vet and, if possible, allow it to breed
- In the case of pregnancy, put maximum efforts into providing a higher level of comfort to the pet
- Fights among sibling groups are very common, but they usually occur six weeks after their birth. So, if there is any squeaking coming from the cage within the first six weeks, hurry and separate the siblings
- You should also address another fighting context. If you are going to keep a pair of hamsters, keep them separate for the first few days. And allow interaction under your supervision
- Finally, just give it some love by tickling its belly or cuddling with it
FAQs
Below are the answers to some common questions regarding a hamster’s squeaking.
Q: Do hamsters squeak when happy?
Yes, hamsters express their happiness by squeaking (mostly, there is a noticeable gap between generating the sound twice).
Q: Why is my hamster squeaking at me?
It is feeling affectionate toward you and is also very happy with you. However, you should check the food and water supplies to make sure the pots are full. Also, sometimes it squeaks at you to make you notice that there is some problem.
Q: Do hamsters squeak before they die?
Yes. It can make squeaking or “shhh” noises while dying.
Conclusion
So, now you have the answer to the question, why is my hamster squeaking, along with reasons and addressing approaches. As per our expert observation, during the earlier period, the squeaking sound will confuse you, making it difficult to identify the reason.
But as you and your tiny buddy become closer with the passage of time, you will understand the meaning of its every squeak. So, just try to develop a strong emotional bond with it!
